"Kamrasi Came Today; As Usual, He Wanted All That I Had, And Insisted
Upon A Present Of My Sword, Watch, And Compass, All Of Which I
Positively Refused.
I told him that he had deceived me by saying that
the lake was so distant as six months' journey, as I knew that it was
only ten days.
He rudely answered, 'Go, if you like; but don't blame me
if you can't get back: it is twenty days' march; you may believe it or
not, as you choose.' To my question as to the means of procuring
porters, he gave no reply, except by asking for my sword, and for my
beautiful little Fletcher rifle.
"I retired to my hut in disgust. This afternoon a messenger arrived from
the king with twenty-four small pieces of straw, cut into lengths of
about four inches. These he laid carefully in a row, and explained that
Speke had given that number of presents, whereas I had only given ten,
the latter figure being carefully exemplified by ten pieces of straw; he
wished to know 'why I did not give him the same number as he had
received from Speke?' This miserable, grasping, lying coward is
nevertheless a king, and the success of my expedition depends upon him."
"FEB. 20th. - Cloudy, as usual; neither sun, moon, nor stars will show
themselves. Fortunately, milk can be procured here. I live upon
buttermilk. Kamrasi came, and gave twenty elephants' tusks as a present
to Ibrahim.
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